Bad Moms

Sometimes you have nothing better to do on a Saturday night than watch a horribly put together 'female comedy'. We're better than this girls...

Bad Moms begins with a particularly good mum in Amy Mitchell, played by the always beautiful Mila Kunis. She balances a 60 hour work week of being an overachieving full-time employee whilst also being a full-time mum. Although seemingly appearing to be the 'supermum', she never really gets the job done and sees herself as always coming up just short. After a day of nothing but bad outcomes and misfortune, Amy has enough of trying to live up to the image of being a mum with everything going right for herself and her family. She decides to live for herself and be wild and free but the other local mums refuse to let such blasphemy happen. One mum in particular, Gwendolyn James, played by Christina Applegate, has her eyes on Amy acting out and is set on tearing her back down.

While the film had plenty of moments of comedy, as you would expect in a 'comedy' film, the whole thing fell flat. The story was absolutely laughable, and not in the positive way. The climactic emotional moment made me feel absolutely nothing because the film spent no time making the characters likable or even tolerable. The love interest of the movie is forced and could have been excluded entirely without any real hindrance to the film. Almost every plot point was unrealistic and forgetful. Bad Moms is the very definition of a conventional comedy in that way, with the story being virtually predictable from the get go. It's upsetting that a film like this, promoted as being a film for women by women, provides a few chuckles and nothing else. Why can't we have the developed and complex characters portrayed in the male steered traditional comedy or action films. Hell, The Accountant did a better job representing women in the 21st century - and it featured a damsel in distress being rescued by a man! A few of the characters are complete caricatures and stereotypes which are clearly derived from a cookie cutter idea of the different types of women and the plot follows the beat by beat story arc of 'redemption of the down-on-her-luck protagonist' to a very tee. Mila, pick better roles please.

To the critical mind, this film falls way short of being anything special. To the targeted demographic that the film focuses on, this film will be a sure fire box office hit to them. So unless you fall within the latter, this film wont contribute anything to your day.

The Accountant

Christian Wolff, played by Ben Affleck, is a wickedly smart mathematician who is an accountant by day and, if the event calls for it, a bad-ass book cooker/killing machine by night. The Accountant is ultimately an incredible character study on a man who suffers from autism and is taught, rather harshly, to control his condition rather than let it hinder his ability to live life 'normally'. It weaves pertinent moments in Christian’s life that shaped the man he became with the present day as he investigates a company and its missing money. 

Anna Kendrick‘s portrayal of Dana Cummings, the woman who initially notices discrepancies in this company - headed by John Lithgow - is convincing and her chemistry with Affleck was surprisingly more believable than I had imagined it would be. However, the real standouts was Affleck. He managed to encompass everything about his character, the bad and the good, allowing audiences to invest in the story. There were scenes in which we saw moments of self harm that were tense and at times difficult to watch but  seemed to be perfectly within the films scope of violence and brought the focus back to the subplot of mental illness. The Accountant’s emphasis on it's main character, Christian Wolff, is explored brilliantly. A major critique of the film was that the various plot points were difficult to follow. Whilst I agree that one or two moments could have been explained in more detail to conceive a more rounded story, the film as a whole was captivating and well paced. 

The film thankfully does not try to glamorize mental illness. Instead it portrays autism and individuals who live with such disabilities in an honest and unforgiving light. There was no obviously disrespectful portrayal, intended to shock the audience rather than add depth to the characters. Gavin O’Connor, the director, manages to showcase the action sequences in a riveting way, with not as many fast cuts or camera tricks reminiscent of realist directors. This approach is more appropriate, in my opinion, when depicting topics and characters that are unfortunately still taboo in our society. The power of the film was left instead to the tense buildup sequences before an action shot. 

A powerful film that would suit audiences who don't typically enjoy the action genre, The Accountant was full of surprises - the most impressive of which was Affleck's believability and likeability. 

The Infiltrator

Directed by Brad Furman with a screenplay written by his Mother, Ellen Brown Furman, Bryan Cranston's latest appearance on the big screen is a classic American crime film. The Infiltrator is based on an autobiography written by Robert Mazur, a U.S. customs agent, who in the 1980s helped bust Pablo Escobar by going undercover as a corrupt businessman. I will make no attempts to hide the fact that my knowledge of Escobar and the drug world is limited but I have started watching Narcos so I figure it's only a matter of time until I know everything, right? The film took just under 1 year and a half from the first day of filming to its premiere in Florida. When you see the film, if you ever do, it's astonishing how much the production crew were able to achieve considering how elaborate some shots and sequences were.

The film looks like another Wolf of Wall Street on the surface but is clearly very different. Rather than focusing on the drugs and on Escobar like in Narcos, The Infiltrator follows an undercover operation that was designed to discover the route of the drug money flowing through southern Florida. This film was based on a true story and has occasional video footage and image stills of the real events intercut with the film. And in true Hollywood style, the credits are rolled after a quick round up of the fates that met those involved along with side by side images of the actor and the real person they were playing. As a result of the operation, CEO's and upper management in several banks that were knowingly laundering drug money were convicted. In fact, throughout the film it's easier to sympathise with the drug lords than it is with the international bankers. In part, this was due to the focus placed on Roberto Alcaino's family in the second half of the film. I had to remind myself that these men were responsible for deaths in several countries and endangered their families lives on their own accord. The plot definitely puts an emphasis on the individuals and their families and how they are affected but deliberately limits the drug use on screen almost to help viewers forget the real issue.

Cranston is joined by Diane Kruger for the second half of the film as she plays his fiancé. The two have a lovely, plutonic relationship on screen. Even when the two embrace after witnessing the death of a business partner, there is never an assumption that the two are anything other than colleagues and friends. I respected the decision to portray the characters in this way and to avoid an unnecessary adultery subplot. Besides Kruger and Cranston the cast of The Infiltrator aren't the most recognisable in Hollywood. However the ensemble cast, especially when all together in the climactic wedding scene, were wonderful and truly compelling in their roles. Special mention goes to Benjamin Bratt who definitely deserves more roles, more recognition and more beard! Damn, his beard looked good. I do hear he's involved in the upcoming Doctor Strange so fingers crossed his facial hair is here to stay!

If you are interested in the Medellin cartel or the individuals involved in Escobar's downfall, I recommend this film. Equally, if you're a fan of well paced and tense crime dramas then The Infiltrator should be next up on your to watch list.

Sausage Party

I feel like I've been saying forever that we need more adult animation in movies - and I don't mean the very popular 'adult' videos that can be found online.

Sausage Party, written by Seth Rogen and his merry band of blockbuster screenplay writing machines, is a delicious feast of hilarious stupidity packed into a store bought bun. And by that, puns aside, I mean that the film was funny, surprisingly clever and exactly what I was expecting. The animation was smart and the facial expressions were well executed. I always appreciate any departure from the digital standard set by Disney and Pixar. It was incredibly easy to lose yourself in the film and sympathise with food items. So here's the basic rundown of the plot: perishable goods in every supermarket are under the illusion that being purchased and taken home with humans is the 'great beyond' and a place that food aspires to go. But as Frank the sausage, Brenda the bun and a few of their friends are eventually picked up in the market, the discover the unfortunate truth and their inevitable fate in the human stomach from the mouth of a PTSD suffering mustard. From this point on, scenes of Frank's journey to discover the truth are cut together with scenes of other groceries being prepared in the kitchen. Shit gets weird but it's great.

The cast was as you would expect in a Seth Rogen backed film. Filled to the brim with the A-list, B-list and the I-Forgot-You-Exist of Hollywood. However, without a doubt, the best (voice) performance was supplied by Rogen. The abundance of dirty jokes perfectly executed in his infamous grasp made for a truly entertaining character. It's painfully clear throughout how invested Rogen is in the film. Every joke, scene and plot point screams his name and it has resulted in a really funny film. However, I would argue that this film should have been an 18 not a 15 like it is here in the UK. Some of the content was definitely not for the ears of impressionable school kids. Especially the celebratory orgy after they overpower the 'gods' in the supermarket. Spoilers ahead.

The final scene of this film, after the afore mentioned orgy, is unlike anything we've seen on screen since Enchanted in 2007. The gang are told by Firewater, an ancient drink who seems to know everything, that they are in fact cartoons and even shows Frank an image of Seth Rogen in the fire. Together they then travel through a portal to cut the 'puppet' strings they believe they are controlled by. This was, frankly (pun intended), an amazing way of ending a film like Sausage Party. Let's just add some more surrealism in to the mix and hope for the best! Sometimes the most successful way of building a fictional universe is by testing the limits and trying something that is even stranger than its predecessor. 

With Rogen already discussing the possibility for a sequel, I don't think this will be the last we see of Frank, Brenda and the gang. With an Enchanted type film hinted at before the closing credits, I'm excited to see what the team come up with. Rogen has really come into his own in the last 5 years, proving that although his style of acting and choice of films are all from the same weed smelling cloth, he can still draw an audience and make them laugh. It's also worth noting that this was a film I saw myself at 11am on a Tuesday and I still enjoyed it. 

Ex Machina

The only things I knew about Ex Machina going in to it in 2014 was that it was a British made science fiction film, written and directed by Alex Garland (writer of 28 Days Later and Dredd) and that the plot revolved around the idea of an artificial intelligence. I was sold on it instantly.

Ex Machina is the story of Ava, an artificial intelligence created by wealthy business man and technological genius Nathan, told through the eyes of Caleb. Caleb is a computer programmer in Nathan's company who wins a competition to go and visit Nathan in his home/research laboratory for a week, and ends up with the opportunity to perform a variant of the Turing Test on Ava in order to determine if she qualifies as a true AI.

As with all great sci-fi, Ex Machina uses it's central concept in order to tell a very human story while continuously expanding on the central idea. Unlike a lot of more recent films, which throw a bunch of future technologies at the wall to see what sticks, Ex Machina instead focuses on just the one idea and allows that to be the centre of the story, with very little else showing up. It's great to see a science fiction film so confident in its central premise, especially from a first time director. Comparisons to Blade Runner or other films related to artificial intelligence would be unfair - despite sharing a concept, the story being told is radically different, and the comparison is dismissive of the ingenuity and originality on display here.

Ex Machina wastes no time setting up the premise of the film, which is always refreshing - Caleb is whisked away to the research facility in the first minute of run time, giving us as an audience the same sense of uncertainty and haste that Caleb himself would be feeling, instantly helping us to connect to a character we really know very little about, at least at first. Domnhall Gleeson is perfect as Caleb, really helping to sell a character that could have ended up distant or emotionally stunted in the wrong hands, and it's clear why he is frequently cited as a rising star and one to watch. Oscar Isaac is just as great as Nathan, playing the typical tortured genius as brash, abrasive and occasionally downright rude, and completely owns one of the best scenes - "Dance with her".

But it is Alicia Vikander, who plays Ava, that really shines here. Initially, I forgot to talk about how good she is in this film because I forgot that Ava was played by an actress, instead completely buying into the character as an artificial intelligence, a creation of the film. There is a sense of naivety and vulnerability in the performance that means Ava is at once the most human character on screen, while at the same time maintaining a level of intelligence that makes her seem almost other worldly, frequently plunging into the uncanny valley and back out. The design of Ava is great, with human looking feet, hands and face connected by a clear exoskeleton with wires and cables running throughout. She is completely captivating to watch thanks to a combination of the design, great CGI and solid, believable acting. 

Ex Machina ends up being one of the best pure science fiction films I've seen in a long time, with a great cast in a well written and original story that, despite using a fairly tried and tested sci-fi concept, never feels stale or predictable. It's smart without being pretentious, and concise enough that it doesn't outstay it's welcome, and is a film that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in science fiction.

Suicide Squad

I read every bad review about this film before walking into the cinema and I was still disappointed.

My expectations could not have been lower and yet, Suicide Squad still failed to make a mark. Written and directed by David Ayer, the latest DC instalment lacked purpose, depth and excitement. In fact, I would go as far as saying that every bullet missed the target on this one. I found myself bored throughout many of the action scenes, silent during moments of 'humour' and unimpressed with forced relationships.

Ayer was, in many ways, restricted by studio execs and brand managers who insisted upon a certain product - even if it was a lesser one! One particular problem with the creation of this film seemed to be the deadlines. Ayer was given a release date and had to write, shoot and edit before that time. Sounds like any other film, yes, but Ayer wanted time to develop the film and was not given the chance to. In fact, two different versions of the film were screened for test audiences and Ayer's more developed version was not favoured by the studio. One of the other shackles attached to Ayer and Suicide Squad was the demand for a PG13/15 rating. With a film centred on bad guys with an attitude, it was frustrating that the rating was so low. Perhaps an R/18 rating would have been better suited to allow Ayer to explore his characters in more seedy depth. Many of the aspects of what make these characters great are only brushed upon because too much violence, language or sexually explicit scenes would hike the age rating. Although Deadpool was problematic for several reasons, it was an enjoyable ADULT film that still dominated the market despite excluding the young up and coming comic fans.

Whilst Deadshot and Harley Quinn had potential in the film there simply wasn't enough to carry the rest of the cast. Cara Delevingne, for example, should never have been cast as Dr Moon/Enchantress. She should never have made the move into acting in the first place. Hiding the fact she cannot do accents behind an ancient language and subtitles was one thing, but Ayer could not hide her basic inability to act. The audience are supposed to be in awe of this character in both of her physical states but whenever she was on screen it was cringe worthy watching her sway her hips or flail into the arms of her soldier boyfriend. Speaking of the soldier, Captain Flag, Joel Kinnaman was a pleasant replacement for early drop out Tom Hardy. He was an underdeveloped character but did his best in the screen time allotted to him. Being an underdeveloped character in Suicide Squad is like being a hipster in a trendy cafe. They are fucking everywhere. The audience is force fed snapshot origin stories at the very beginning of the film and are occasionally given additional flashbacks as the story progresses. But other than that, the characters are dropped into the DC universe, as the fans currently know it, and left to fend for themselves. Even the Joker, a character we all know and love, was new and improved but without any context. At the end of Suicide Squad, the only characters I would be happy having origin stories would be Deadshot and Harley Quinn but that is more to do with the performances than the writing.

Ultimately a film with great potential to slingshot DC back into my good books, after the fall of Batman - thanks Affleck, was a disappointment from the ground up. I thoroughly blame the restrictions on Ayer and the time scale in which the film needed to be made. Perhaps after the afore mentioned success of bad-guy-good-guy Deadpool, it felt as if Suicide Squad was rushed in order to jump on the band wagon. If we'd had individual origin stories for the main troupe beforehand then perhaps the time in this film could have been better utilised. I cannot help but wonder how much better the film would have been had the first 20 minutes of rambling character description been replaced with more content. I'm sure the film will still top box offices around the world but whether it, with the amount of negativity from critics and fans, will make back it's initial investment is still up in the air. 

Jason Bourne

Jason is back and so is Damon! 

The saga continues as Jason Bourne returns to our cinemas bigger than ever. Directed by Paul Greengrass (best name ever) who has directed three of the five Bourne films, the 2016 instalment is set 10 years after the events of Bourne Ultimatum. The jump in time was perhaps an attempt to pretend that Bourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner never happened - which I think many fans of the franchise would agree is the perfect way of reviving the film. The film follows Jason as he pieces together who he was/is and how he became an Operation Treadstone assassin. Once discovering the CIA killed his father, Bourne seeks revenge and begins to hunt down the CIA director, Robert Dewey. Meanwhile, as an additional subplot, the CIA are attempting to monitor the public through a new form of social media. 

The return of Matt Damon as Bourne, and in his first film since the critically acclaimed The Martian, is certainly one way to ensure a blockbuster hit this Summer. Although Matt looks a lot older than he did when he first appeared as Bourne, who can forget fresh faced Damon?, he carried himself well and certainly proved that stunts are not off the table for him yet! He was joined by several cast members from previous films including Tommy Lee Jones and Julia Stiles along with a slew of new faces. One of the breakout stars of 2015, Alicia Vikander, does exceptionally well as Heather Lee - head of the CIA Cyber Ops Division. Although at times it's hard to believe the character would make the decisions she does, Vikander portrays her well. Staying stern and emotionless throughout as she attempts to ascertain Bourne without killing him.  

**SPOILERS** The action sequences, of which there were many, were amazing. Fast paced and full of destruction - that's the kind of scenes I want to see in a Bourne film! Particularly the final car chase scene which sees Bourne tracking down the CIA's Asset with the purpose of killing him in revenge for killing his father. The Asset, driving a swat vehicle, rams through traffic in a straight line which sees cars being crushed and blown out of the way. It was an incredible moment to watch. I think that a huge part of this film's success will be how straight forward it is. Yes, we jump back and forth several times throughout in terms of who the 'bad guy' is but when you consider the film as a whole - it was a true action blockbuster. Unlike many modern action films, Bourne didn't attempt to genre blend. There were no cheesy jokes or forced moments of comic relief. It was hard, gripping and intense. Our hero was not a true hero. He's a trained killer, and part time street fighter, who will use his skill base to get what he wants. There is no heart of gold in Bourne. He's focused on revenge and will continue to fight back against the corporation that made him. I was so happy to finally see an action film that didn't try to force likeability or empathy. The writers got straight to the point from the outset and it made for a fast paced but fantastically structured film. 

For fans of the previous films - you will not be disappointed. I would recommend that those new to Bourne watch the first three films (don't bother with Bourne Legacy) before watching the new one. Although flashbacks (new, not in previous films) are slotted in throughout Jason Bourne to help new audiences grasp the plot, having prior knowledge of the films and of Jason's past will help enhance the experience and enjoyment of this film. It's not often I find myself wishing for the next instalment before the end credits role, but there is something about this character and these films that always leave me wanting more.